Picked wild blackberries today and found a huntable deer bed

[Okanagan]

Last year I picked the little wild native black berries on July 9.  Picked a four liter ice cream bucket of them today, June 26.  Excellent picking, large berries, not peaked yet and will be better picking next week.  Jim, I admit that partly my reason for posting this is so I can look up the date in forum archives next summer!

I found a deer bed on a little knob amid brush and Christmas trees (and blackberries).  The knob is 75 yards above an old road on a big mountainside which is curved into a large basin at that point.   It is a classic blacktail bed on a deep layer of red rot decomposed wood.  Deer love to bed on that stuff.  It insulates well and is softer than cold hard dirt.  The only thing unusual about the fresh and heavily used bed is that a man can see it from a point on a higher ridge 150 yards away.  I scouted how to reach the optimum point on the ridge from the back side without disturbing a deer in the bed.   Sun won't hit the bed till mid to late morning.  Maybe only a doe beds there, but I'm gonna hunt that one come deer season. 

[FinsnFur]

Thats fine cause it tells me when to approx expect the next FnF Pie 
Nice find on the deer bed. Vension and berry pie?...oh my

[pitw]

Good find, i don't have either of them.

[Dave]

my reason for posting this is so I can look up the date in forum archives next summer!

Haha - I've done the same thing (looking into the archives) when trying to figure out when I've found mushrooms.  Found, though, it's more dependent upon weather 

Gotta let us know when you tag one out of that spot! 

[Okanagan]

Went back to pick wild blackberries.  Bumper crop this year, best picking I've ever experienced on these, and the largest berries.  I picked nearly four gallons yesterday morning, July 2.

While I was changing into boots and gaiters to pick, a young blacktail buck walked up to me.  I was parked about 300 yards from that deer bed.   I heard him walking and when I turned to look he was 40-50 feet away, broadside in the middle of the road.  Tall straight antlers in velvet with the beginning of a tiny fork on each top.   I went on fixing gaiters and next time I looked he was within 30 feed, feeding down the edge of the logging road toward me.  Hmmm... Should take a pic.  I reached in for my camera, got it going and just then he jumped off into the thick brush but didn't run away.  I could hear him but not see him.  If he gives me that opportunity after September 10, he is going in my freezer.

A bonus yesterday was a small patch of wild strawberries.  I love their taste, as if all of the best of strawberries was distilled into a delicate sweet flavor. 

[pitw]

  You are having tooooooo much fun with them black berries.   Always enjoy when a critter walks up for me to talk with.